The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — May 2121
Highlights this month
- 4SunVenus at greatest morning elongation (46° from the Sun, mag −4.3) — best morning apparition. (5:30pm)
- 5MonMercury is stationary — begins retrograde (westward) motion. (8:47am)
- 6TueEta Aquariids meteor shower peaks (up to 50/hr). A bright 87% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 15ThuMercury in inferior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (11:13pm)
- 19MonThe Moon passes Saturn — 3° apart. (9:18pm)
- 21WedThe Moon passes Jupiter — 0.5° apart. (5:15pm)
- 24SatThe Moon passes Mars — 4° apart. (9:11am)
- 28WedMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (6:13am)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 | 7:01am | 5:32pm | 10h 31m | 7:02pm | 5:32am |
| Sat 10 | 7:09am | 5:23pm | 10h 13m | 6:54pm | 5:39am |
| Tue 20 | 7:18am | 5:15pm | 9h 56m | 6:47pm | 5:46am |
| Sat 31 | 7:27am | 5:09pm | 9h 42m | 6:42pm | 5:53am |
Days shorten by about 49 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- Full MoonSat 3, 4:28am
- Last QuarterSat 10, 10:14am
- New MoonSat 17, 3:57am
- First QuarterSat 24, 7:55pm
Perigee 13 May (366,900 km) · Apogee 25 May (404,800 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Tau | 8.5 | 7:20am | 12:20pm | 5:20pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Psc | −4.2 | 3:26am | 9:22am | 3:18pm | Morning |
| Mars | Leo | 0.8 | 1:24pm | 6:37pm | 11:51pm | Evening |
| Jupiter | Gem | −1.7 | 11:46am | 4:35pm | 9:25pm | Evening |
| Saturn | Gem | −0.0 | 10:11am | 2:56pm | 7:42pm | Evening |
| Uranus | Gem | 5.6 | 11:20am | 4:05pm | 8:51pm | Evening |
| Neptune | Vir | 7.8 | 4:11pm | 10:45pm | 5:24am | Evening |
Meteor showers
- Eta Aquariids — peaks 6 May, radiant in Aquarius (up to 50/hr). Debris of Halley's Comet and one of the best showers of the year from the south — swift meteors in the pre-dawn eastern sky. A bright 87% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — May 2121
Evening sky Morning sky Up much of the night Lost in the Sun’s glare
Open the full interactive orrery ↗ — fast-forward, pick any date, toggle the Moon and more.
Looking for an earlier month? Browse all past monthly guides →
Generated automatically from the MPAS sky engine on 9 September 2026.